Machine for splitting the ends of cane



2 Sheets-Sheet 1-.

(No Model.) I

H. G. DUNLAP. MACHINE FDR SPLITI'ING THE ENDS 0F CANE.

No. 489,225. Patented Jan. 3, 1893i (No Model.) 2 Sheeta-Sheet '2.

' H. G. DUNLAP.

MACHINE FOR SPLITTING THE ENDS OFUANB.

Patented Jan. 3, 1893.

S fiWfiZr 7 J9 ajwzd Nrrn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY G. DUNLAP, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO FORD, JOHNSON ch CO.,OF MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA.

MACHINE FOR SPLITTING THE ENDS OF CANE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 489,225, dated January3, 1893.

Application filed December 12, 1891. Serial No. 414,802. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY G. DUNLAP, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Splittingthe Ends of Cane, which are fully set forth in the followingspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a machine embodying myinvention; Fig. 2, a plan view of the same; Fig. 3,a verticalsection,taken on the line 3, 3, of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrowthereon; Fig. 4, a detail section, showing the splitting devices with astrand of canejust entering; Fig. 5, a similar view at the completion ofthe forward or operative movement of the devices; and Fig. 6, a detailside elevation of two strands of cane prepared for union. Figs. 1, 2 and3 are on one scale; and Figs. 4, 5 and 6 upon another and enlargedscale.

The bottoms of cane seated chairs are now largely made by machineryunder a mode of operation which is usually known as weaving. In thismanufacture it is necessary to have practically continuous strips orstrands of cane for what corresponds to the warp in ordinary weaving.These long strands are obtained by securely fastening together the usualshort strands of the market at their ends. This is done by splitting theends of one strand, shaving down the end of another strand, inserting inthe strip of the former and gluing the two together. Heretofore thesplitting of the ends of the strands of cane has been done by hand, andthis hand work is not only objectionable because somewhat slow, but alsobecause of frequent imperfections in the joints, owing to defects insplitting, resulting in great lack of uniformity with roughness andprojections.

My invention relates to a machine for doing this work of splitting theends of strands of cane by mechanical devices, whereby the ends of thestrands are always divided evenly and uniformly, th us remedying thedefects in hand work.

I will now describe in detail the construction and operation of amachine in which I have embodied my invention in one practical way andwill then point out more definitely in claims the particularimprovements which I believe to be new and wish to secure by LettersPatent.

In the drawings Fig. 6 illustrates the way in which the adjacent ends ofstrands of cane are prepared for union. The one strand, A, is split alittle way in at one end, so as to provide a short slit, a; the otherstrand, B, has the adj acent end shaved down or beveled practically toan edge, and this beveled end, I), it will be seen, is adapted to beinserted in the split end of the adjacent strand. Before this insertionthe end of the strand is supplied with glue so that when in place thetwo ends are firmly fastened together.

It is the purpose of my invention to provide a machine to make theslits, a, in the ends of the cane strands. The essential features of mymachines are a splitting knife, mechanism for feeding the ends of thestrands to the knife and mechanism for operating the feeding device,first forward the short distance required to make the split and thenbackward to withdraw and liberate the split strands. The machine forthis purpose, illustrated in the drawings, consists of a suitable bedpiece, C, at one end of which is an upright frame, D, and at the other asomewhat shorter frame, a, in which is mounted a band-wheel, E, theshaft, e, of which is provided with a crank, e. In the frame D, oppositeto this band-wheel, there is mounted a pair of rollers F and G. Thejournals of these rollers are mounted in suitable bearings in the sidepieces, (Z, of the upright frame and these side pieces have openings, d,cut inward from their outer edges to the bearings so that the rollersmay be readily removed and replaced, as desired. The upper roller G isalloweda slight vertical movement, to accomplish which the upper partbearings, g, of its journals are set in guide ways in the side uprightsof the frame which are provided with slots, (1 for this purpose; andabove these movable bearings are springs, g, which hold the upper partbearings in place, but at the same time permit them to yield vertically.On the inside of the upright frame D is a knife, H, mounted on suitablesupports, h, arranged horizontally and extending across the frame, beingin width about equal to the length of the rollers. This knife isadjusted, so that its edge, h, extends in between the two rollers justabout to the plane of their common vertical diameter. The blade is alsoset so that its edge will be just a little above the surface of thelower roller F, leaving a narrow space between the two equal to abouthalf the thickness of cane strands as they are prepared for the market.Obviously if the end of a cane strand is presented to the rollers andthe latter are given a' short movement in a direction to producea feedinward, the end of the strand will be carried thereby in against theknife edge and so be evenly split, the upper roller G yielding toaccommodate this movement. It is also obvious that this inward movementof the rolls must be of short duration and then must be reversed torelease the split strand. In order to obtain these movements acrank-arm, I, is fastened to one of the journals of the lower roller F.This arm is connected by a pitman or connecting rod, J, with the crank eof the band-wheel. But the crank-arm I is very much longer than thecrank arm e of the band-wheel, so that the one revolution of the latterwill produce only a vibratory movement of the former in a well-knownway. Now these devices being in the position shown in full lines in Fig.1 with the crank e at the point of its greatest inward throw, it isevident that the continued movement thereof will move the crank-arm Iinward until the crank 6' reaches the point of its greatest outwardthrow, this position being shown in dotted lines in said figure; andthen the further movement of the crank-arm 6' during the remaining halfof its revolution will carry the arm I back again to its outwardposition, from which it started. Now it is obvious that this vibrationof the crank arm I inward, will turn thel'owerroller F inward asindicated by arrows in Fig. 1, thus producing an inward feed foranything placed in the bite of the rollers; that this movement willcontinue until the parts reach the position shown in dotted lines inFig. 1 and that then it will be reversed, producing an opposite oroutward feed of the rollers.

The rollers and knife are of such dimensions that a number of strands ofcane can be split at the same time. In operation these strands A areplaced upon a suitable table or support and their ends set into theopening between the rollers, when the latter being put in motion asdescribed the ends of the strands are carried inward and are split bythe knife and are then immediately discharged by the reverse movement ofthe rollers. This operation is illustrated in Figsat and 5, in theformer of which the strand of cane is shown in position just as the feedmovement of the rollers is to begin, while in the latter it is shownjust as this movement has been completed and the split in the end of thestrand has been made and the reverse movement of the rollers is about totake place. In this op eration the ends of the strands are split equallyand uniformly, so that uniform and smooth joints are readily obtained inconnecting the strands as already explained and illustrated in Fig. 6 ofthe drawings. It will be seen that in order to always secure thesatisfactory working of the machine, it will be desirable to providesome means for regulating the movement of the rollers. This may beaccomplished in various ways; in the drawings I have shown the longcrank-arm I provided with a slot, i, in its outer end and the pin, 2'',

by which the pitman .I is connected to this arm' is adjustable back andforth in this slot, whereby it is evident that the throw of the arm maybe nicely regulated and so the oscillatory movement of the rollersaccurately adj usted.

I do not wish to be understood as confining my invention to theparticular devices for oscillating the rollers, which have just beendescribed, for it is evident that there are other well-known mechanicaldevices, by which the same movement of the rollers can be pro duced, andI contemplate the employment of any well-known device that will producethis movement. It will also appear that the main feature of my inventionmay be carried out with some other feed device than the rollers hereshown. Any feed device which will properly hold the strands of cane andwhich at the same time may receive a reciprocating movement to carry theends of the said strands up to the action of the knife and then backagain may be employed, instead of the rollers, though I prefer thelatter as being especially well adapted to this purpose.

Having thus described my invention what Iclaim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a machine for splitting the ends of cane strands, a stationaryknife, in combination with a feeding device, adapted to clasp the endsof the cane strands and carry them forward against the knife, andmechanism whereby a reciprocating movement is given to the feedingdevice to carry the ends of the strands up to the action of the knifeand then in the reverse direction, substantially as described.

2. In a machine for splitting the ends of cane strands, a pair of feedrollers, in combination with a stationary knife arranged with its edgenear the common diameter of the rollers, and mechanism whereby anoscillatory movement is positively imparted to said rollers, first tofeed the ends of the strands to the knife and then to retract themtherefrom, substantially as described.

3. In a machine for splitting the ends of cane strands, a stationaryknife H, in combination with the feed rollers F and G, the crank arm Ifastened to the journal of one of said rollers, a revolving crank 6 muchshorter than the arm I, and a pitman J connecting the said arms,substantially as described.

4. In a machine for splitting the ends of the pitmanJ connecting thecrank armsI and cane strands, the band or driving wheel E e,substantially as described. provided with a crank e in combination withthe lower feed roller F, a long crank arm I HENRY G. DUNLAP. 5 fastenedto the journal of said roller, the up- Witnesses:

per feed roller G mounted in bearings yield- CARRIE FEIGEL,

ing vertically, the stationary knife H, and A. M. BEST.

